AN ACT PROHIBITING CERTAIN PERSONS FROM ALLOWING MINORS TO POSSESS ALCOHOLIC LIQUOR IN DWELLING UNITS AND ON PRIVATE PROPERTY

SUMMARY:
This act prohibits anyone who owns or controls private property, including a dwelling unit, from recklessly, or with criminal negligence, permitting anyone under age 21 to illegally possess alcohol in the unit or on the property.
Existing law prohibits knowingly allowing such possession.

The law also requires any such person who knows that a minor possesses alcohol illegally to make reasonable efforts to stop it.
The act extends liability for failure to halt possession to a person who acts recklessly or with criminal negligence.

The act increases the penalty for a violation to a class A misdemeanor (see Table on Penalties).
Under prior law, a first violation was an infraction and any subsequent violation was punishable by up to one year imprisonment, up to a $500 fine, or both.